Automatic sewing machines which sew workpieces previously arranged within pallets have heretofore been known. Examples of such sewing machine systems are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,814,038 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,877,405. These automatic sewing machines automatically sew a workpiece that has been previously arranged within a pallet. The pallet must however first be manually loaded into the sewing machine and thereafter connected to the automatic positioning system. The pallet must also be manually removed from the automatic positioning system following completion of the automatic sewing.
It is to be appreciated that the time devoted to loading and unloading of pallets can materially affect the overall productivity of these automatic sewing machines. In this regard, the attendant must usually spend considerable time handling the pallets and making sure that they are accurately locked into the machine so as to obtain the stitching accuracy normally desired. This usually requires a considerable number of sequential steps which consume valuable time when the machine is not actually in operation. These steps include unlocking a finished pallet, grasping it while it is still fully within the machine and moving it to a place to the side. At this time, the work is either physically removed and additional work inserted in the thus removed pallet or in the alternative another pallet of previously arranged work is loaded into place and carefully locked into the sewing machine system. It is to be appreciated that the aforementioned steps all contribute to the net down time of the machine between physical sewing operations.
It is also to be appreciated that the aforementioned loading and unloading steps may not be timely made by the attendant in the event that another automatic sewing machine is also in need of attention. Specifically, a machine may need attention because of thread breakage or bobbin changing. If the attendant must attend to such needs of another machine, then a pallet loading or unloading sequence may not be timely made.